Tensai's Records: Pandora
by Lucian Canad
Summary: A new arrival on the distant moon of Pandora comes to seek out new lifestyles
1. Prologue

Tensai's Records – Pandora

Prologue: Life

A healthy mid-afternoon at Hell's Gate base; RDA personnel were all attending to the various duties distributed to them. Most had something to do with maintaining the perfect state of operations of the core human foothold in the lush moon of Pandora. Some of those tasks involved patrolling the perimeter, verifying the defensive measures, knock back any aggression attempt from the wildlife, or, in the safer indoors ambient, the constant research made by the scientists, who always wanted to understand better the small planet.

Some weren't that lucky.

"Man, I'm so sick of this…" said Private Christian Lorincz, after letting out a heavy sigh "We've been in this fucking cargo hold the whole day"

Pvt. Lorincz and his companion, Ryan Barnes, also a Private, had been assigned the duty of cataloguing Hell's Gate's food and equipment stocks. Taking into consideration the fact that the storage warehouses occupied the underground equivalent of a third of the total area of the base, which wasn't small in itself, their day had been quite busy, though quite boring as well.

"Those be the woes and pains of being a lowly private, my friend" Barnes answered. Christian rolled his eyes. Always the poetic one…

"Don't give me that, Ryan. The Lewis brothers are as much as we are, and they got transferred to the Park as turret-manners! I can't think of a breezier job on this whole friggin' moon!" The other huffed, bringing his water-filled squeeze to his lips, taking a long drink.

"I guess you're right. Maybe we're just fucked up in terms of luck" He took a drink of his own, though way shorter "Speaking of luck, have you heard? Who's inside the Heaven's Spear, that's arriving from Earth next week?"

Chris answered with a curious "hmm?" without taking his attention from the nice, cold water running down his parched throat. Ryan took a moment, looking around discreetly, before leaning in closer and whispering "Nagato Tensai"

Coughs and sputters, followed by water droplets hitting the ground, as Lorincz fought to clear the water from his trachea, while trying to assure a fresh supply of air to his lungs. Took him a few minutes to be able to look at the other man's amused face.

"Tensai? You're kidding!"

"Nope"

"But why would someone like him want to come all the way to this godforsaken place?"

"Not really sure. Rumor has it that he wants in on the Avatar Program. Also has it that he bought a seat on the ship *and* an avatar for his sister and right-hand man, aside his own"

"Holy mother of pearl…" Chris wiped his wet chin, eyes still wide in surprise "How good must it be to be like him, eh?"

"That is open for discussion, Chris. He might be one of the richest men we ever heard of, but I'd rather be poor, but healthy" Barnes got up, grabbing his PDA, ready to go back to work.

"I guess you have a point" His friend mimicked him, and within instants both were back to their duties.

…

Owww… what happened? Did I drink too much sake last night? Wait… I don't drink. Then did I get myself in a fight and got whacked? Like I could fight to start with. Where am I?

Wait… why am I floating? Zero gravity? I'm in space?

Space…

Through the haze and the headache, I managed to remember. The shuttle, the ship, the cryogenic chamber. Yes, that's right.

A hissing sound breaks my meditative state and I feel myself moving… ACK, bright! First reflex is to cover my poor eyes, but my arms won't move. Ah, kuso… (shit) what's new about that? At least I can close them again.

"Mr. Yoruno? How do you feel?" How do I feel? How do you think I feel, damn?

"Hungry" The robotic-ish voice I grew used to spoke.

"Expected" The voice sounded amused. I managed to open my eyes to look at him. Couldn't be older than my own mid-thirties, dressed in a light blue surgeon outfit. He was checking the device on my wrist, my vitals, no doubt.

"Is he fine?" I heard her speaking, she sounded a bit groggy, much like I would, I assume.

"If he's fine? Good God, Itami, you sound like you don't know your own brother! That one can go through anything" That was Yukito in his usual mood.

"Well, excuse me if I got worried about my very sick brother after almost six years in cryogenic sleeping!" Itami snapped back at him.

"Good God" I made mine Yukito's words "Sometimes you do worry too much, nee-chan (big sister)"

"Oh Nagato, be quiet!" I chuckled my usual robot laughter. Gosh, I hated that. Made me sound like a jammed paper shredder…

"OK people! Exiting cryo state after 5 years, 11 months and 8 days. You'll feel weak and hungry…" You don't say "…those feeling nauseous, we have bags positioned…"

Blah blah blah. Just get me out of here!

Had to wait a while, but they unhooked me from the cryo chamber. Pfft, I could teach them a thing or two about their design, but I decided to keep quiet. I'm just a tourist here, after all…

…

The people aboard the ISV Heaven's Spear were slowly and militaristically loaded into the planetary shuttles, the three "tourists" among them.

"SSTO-TAV-37 model orbit-atmosphere personnel transport shuttle, B-class, codename Valkyrie" the black-haired asian said through his voice digitalizer as they detached from the ship and began planetfall to the lush moon below "Control looks stable, decent aerodynamic, though it shakes a bit every quarter mile, due to a small difference in the size of the right wing in relation to…"

"Yurusai, anata wa ooki na chizu shouoofu! (Shut up, you big showoff!)" Itami snarled impatiently to Nagato, for his own and Yukito's amusement.

Once the shuttle's trajectory became more horizontal than vertical, Nagato started looking around, as best as he could, at least. Two grunts sitting near him were whispering.

"I can't believe I'm sitting next to the famous Tensai!" One of them said excitedly

"He looks smaller on TV"

"Must be all the machines he's hooked up to"

"Yeah, to depend on that to stay alive… poor sod. Does he have the same thing as that physicist from the XX's?"

"No, mine is way cooler" Tensai cut in, making both jump and look at him with a frightened look, like they just heard a ghost talking " It's called fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. Basically, all my muscles became bone, and so I'm a Pinnochio whose Blue Fairy's got a massive hangover"

After the shock went out, both chuckled at the declaration.

"Good one, sir" The first one complimented.

"Thanks" And in that moment, Nagato wanted more than most days be able to smile.

The rumor had spread quite fast in a week's time, and when the shuttle TAV 25 landed noisily on Hell's Gate, there was quite the large crowd of people waiting outside. They were all waiting to see the group of three people last to come out of the shuttle.

Engineering legend, Nagato Yoruno, a.k.a. Tensai, sitting on a sophisticated wheelchair that also carried several machines, with tubes that went awkwardly in and out of his body, followed by his older sister, Itami Yoruno and his closest friend, Yukito Sato.

The siblings carried evident similarities. The same shade of black hair, falling over his face and tied behind her back, same nose shape, same eye color… but still, they could be told apart even by those who weren't at the vanguard of the crowd. And not only because Itami was two feet taller than her seated brother, but because of her obviously feminine body, showing through the tight Japanese-styled dress she was wearing, while Nagato showed a visible lack of physique, due to the inability to use his muscles. His body was thin, like he had gone through some severe anorexia, which was shown by his discreet black suit, which would easily fit a large 12-year-old.

And yet, that squalid human being, who could barely breathe on his own, was largely responsible for the last decade's greatest engineering-related breakthroughs. One of the most relevant was the growth accelerators that allowed, for one, avatars to reach maturity in only six years.

Beside them, towered the muscular, white-haired form of Yukito, Nagato's faithful companion ever since both were kids. Brawn and brains in a synched two-man cell. Yukito was the kind you would find handling hundreds of enemies at a fortress gate to allow Nagato to sneak in for an assassination. Muscles and brains. Black and white. Ying and Yang, and so on.

They made their way down the shuttle's loading ramp, and then treaded their first steps on Pandoran soil. Nagato lagged a little on this instant, though no one could know why, as he showed no expression change. Not that he could, of course

Directly facing the shuttle, at the crowd's spear-head, stood three people. One enthusiastic sided by two not so much so. Both, man and woman, looked like they'd much rather be doing something else. Itami approached the center man, smiling pleasantly.

"Mr. Selfridge, I presume?"

"Quite right, miss Yoruno." He smiled broader "It is a true honor to have you here, on our humble base"

"Humble is hardly the word I'd use" Yukito entered the conversation, gesturing to the huge complex with an amused grin.

"Touchè" Selfridge said, lowering his head a little "Nothing escapes you, does it, Mr. Sato?"

"That's what I pay him so well for" Nagato said as he caught up with the others.

"Ah, Mr. Yoruno! How... delightful it is to us to have someone such as yourself here. Please, allow me to formally introduce myself, and my companions" He took a step back to be right between his less-than-enthusiastic escorts "Parker Selfridge, director of the RDA Pandoran mining operations"

He then gestured to the man to his left, clearly a military officer, judging from the muscular build, the stern look and the short-trimmed grey hair. What caught Nagato's eye were the three lines that broke the perfect keptness of the man's hair. A scar, and a big one at that.

"Colonel Miles Quaritch, chief of Security, our responsible for the defense and protection of our assets"

Then, he turned his guests' attention to the woman. While not terribly attractive per se, she had a nice body that had survived well the dark middle-ages, her intelligent but unfriendly-looking face was laden by a nice shade of curly red hair.

"Dr. Grace Augustine, lead researcher and commander of the Avatar Program"

"A pleasure" Tensai said, though no one would hear pleasure in his emotionless voice.

"Yes, yes, equally…" she grumbled, a bit bothered by the metallic voice "Be all very welcome to hotel Pandora, we hope you enjoy your stay" Her voice was so loaded with irony that provoked a laugh from Yukito "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some actual work to do"

With that she turned around to leave.

"Dr. Augustine?" She stopped at Itami's call "Mind if we go with you? We'd love to see the lab, and check on the avatars"

"I'm sorry, miss" Quaritch manifested himself "But all new arrivals must go through the safety briefing before being allowed to carry with their happy little lives"

"Safety briefing?" Tensai turned his neurally-controlled wheelchair to face the colonel "Let me guess: You will be saying that this is the most hostile ambient of the universe, that every living thing out there can have us for breakfast, lunch, dinner or afternoon tea and that we should work together to fulfill our duties with no hero play?"

"I beg your pardon?" If he was surprised, he made an effort not to show it.

"I read the manual. I read a lot, you know. Not everyone can do push-ups to pass the time"

"Lucky you, lab rat. If you were under me, that smartass attitude would have cost you a couple hundred of those"

"Joyful me I'm not then. Dr. Augustine?"

Those with the right point-of-view would see her quickly hiding a grin "Yes yes, of course…" She motioned for the trio to follow her, and follow her they did.

…

"Grace!" Shouted a geeky-looking young man when she entered the laboratory "I discovered something that looks like a polymer in the latest samples, I think you should have a look…"

"Ah, Norm!" She greeted him with unusual enthusiasm as he made his way to her "Perfect timing. I'll look into it right away, meanwhile could you show the lab to our guests?"

"Guests?" He noticed, for the first time, that there were three people behind her, and his gaze froze on the one in the wheelchair "Oh. My. God! Is that who I think it is?"

"Probably" She ushered him in their direction "Go on, show them around, please"

Obviously glad to have found an escape route, she walked away, heading to where Norm was before he went to meet them. Meanwhile, the same Norm was still dumbstruck.

"Are you… Nagato Tensai? I mean, THE Tensai?"

"Last time I checked, yes" He said "Itami, my arm, please"

She nodded and lifted his right arm so his hand was reaching to the man "And you would be?"

He frenetically wiped his hand on his pants before shaking it with enthusiasm "Norm Spellman. It is my honor, sir!"

"A pleasure to meet you too, Dr. Spellman"

He was visibly ecstatic "Come, I'll show you around"

Not losing an octave of his enthusiasm, he showed the three Asians the linking room, the monitors, the training grounds outside, and when they returned to the lab, there were three tanks already positioned there, filled with blue liquid and blue bodies.

"Lady and gentlemen, your avatars" He gestured dramatically to the tanks.

Anyone with good eyes could tell which was which: Itami's was the middle one, the only female; her now-discreet Asian traits gave the Hybrid body a nice, exotic look. Yukito's was the right one, farthest from them, although slim as any Na'vi should be, his avatar had an especially good physique, giving an idea of strength and endurance.

Nagato drove his wheelchair till he was facing the side of the leftmost tank.

"That is yours, Tensai-san" Norm said.

He had his eyes fixed on the blue version of himself sleeping inside the tank, occasionally twitching from the sensory emulators.

"Norm?" Grace called, emerging from the research area, making him, along with Itami and Yukito look at her "That polymer you mentioned, it was your saliva. Again"

"Oh… I see…" He looked away, a blush coloring his cheeks as Yukito's booming laugh filled the space around.

"Don't worry though, I managed to save a part of the sample" She was now smiling amusedly "But we'll need more pretty soon"

"Oh, don't worry, Dr. Augustine. I'm pretty sure we can find volunteers to go get them" Itami said, smiling, as she turned her head to speak to her brother "Don't we, Naga…"

She stopped as her gaze befell her brother. Yukito noticed and looked too, the same expression adorning him. Nagato was touching the tank, just in level with his face. His weakened arm twitched violently at each second, like a twig who suffers a great amount of strain.

"Nagato…" She walked to him, speechless. When she got close enough, she was even more surprised.

"I…no…ri…" She saw his lips move and curl weakly into a smile, and a faint, hoarse whisper of his voice came out.

Yukito, Itami, Norm and even Grace looked at him with amazement in their eyes. After a few more seconds, that sliver of strength seemed to wane away, and his arm fell back down. He let his eyes close.

Itami smiled with sisterly love in her eyes, and grabbed his wheelchair, pushing it out of the room, looking for a place to let him rest.

"Yukito-san?" Norm called to Tensai's friend after they left.

"That crazy idiot…" He whispered with amused surprise.

"Yukito-san?" He called again.

"Oh, sorry. Yes, Dr. Spellman?"

"Umm… what does "inori" mean?"

He sighed, and looked back to the door where his friend was carried out before answering.

"Life"


	2. Chapter 1

Tensai's Records – Pandora

Chapter 1: Rescue and Rendezvous

Ite-te-te… (Ouch…) My head… I had to use a bit of effort to open my eyes. Phew, no bright lights this time. In fact, the room I found myself in was quite dark. From the corner of my eye, I saw Itami, with a watchful gaze on me.

"Ohayou, shouoofu (Morning, showoff)" She greeted me, smiling. I chuckled a bit.

"Took me all my strength to do that, you know. But it was worth it" I let my eyes close for a moment, letting my mind drift.

"To be honest, I didn't think you had it in you still, otouto (little brother)"

"To be honest, me neither" We laughed together for a moment "How long was I out, by the way?"

She counted a bit on her fingers "Six hours, I think. It's evening outside by now"

"Thanks, nee-chan" She smiled at me.

"By the way, did you notice Dr. Grace's behavior towards us?" She asked "I had heard that she wasn't the most sociable person in this star system, but, sheesh…"

I couldn't help but chuckle again "I think I know how she feels. Remember what she first said when Selfridge introduced them to us?"

"Uhh… She said 'welcome to hotel Pandora, we hope you enjoy your stay'?"

"Precisely. The keyword is there, on 'hotel'. Although we are one of the select few with enough resources to be able to pull a stunt like this, we are the first Terrans that are neither scientist, military or miner ever to tread his moon's soil. By the way she said that, she thinks our presence here means that Pandora, the place where she has learned so much and thrives to learn more, is starting to become a touristic attraction, where people will come, with their ugly flowery shirts, taking pictures, eating chips, chewing gum, writing on chalk over the trees…"

She shook her head violently "Ok, ok I got it, I got it! Stop acting all Tensai on me"

I laughed with gusto "Suman suman (sorry, sorry), nee-chan. Guess I got carried away"

"Way away" She was rubbing her temples. More laughter.

"I think I'm getting some more sleep now, sis"

"Of course, little brother" She walked to me and kissed my forehead "Oyasuminasai (Good night)"

She smiled before turning to leave.

"Itami?" I called to her, making her stop and turn around.

"Yes, Nagato?"

"One last favor, please" I looked from her to the corner of the room, where I had seen my belongings, doubtlessly unloaded from the ship "Inside my bag, there is a small case with a biometric lock, could you leave it with me?"

"Of course" She rummaged through the contents, until she found what I asked: a pocket version of those silver suitcases that people usually carry money, secret documents or nuke launch codes.

She nestled it under my right hand, against the wall, for some paranoid extra protection we both were fond of, before kissing me again and leaving. Once I was alone, I closed my eyes, letting my consciousness fade into sweet rest.

…

That night, Nagato dreamed he was running through strangely colorful woods.

…

The door to his room hissed open, and Yukito entered, waking him up.

"Morning, sunshine" He greeted "We have to go, avatars to be driven"

"Morning" He answered "And yes, absolutely. Race you there!"

The white-haired giant boomed his laughter "Now now, I don't want to humiliate you"

"Yeah, right" They both laughed this time.

Yukito then helped Tensai get into the wheelchair, after which they headed back to the laboratory. Grace and Norm were waiting already.

"Hey Suitman. Think you got what it takes to stay alive outside the fence?" Grace asked jeeringly.

"Mawey, oel lasyatsi ngati (Relax, I can keep up with you)" He said, looking at her, and even though his mouth didn't move, anyone could see the smirk in his eyes. Grace showed little reaction, but his trained eyes saw the corners of her mouth twitch in the whisper of a smirk as well.

"So, ready for this?"

"I've been expecting it for almost six years, Dr. Augustine. I'm having a hard time keeping still"

Everybody within earshot laughed hard. Grace just rolled her eyes.

"I can sedate you if that'd make you more peaceful" She replied, getting more laughter.

"By the way, Tensai-san" Norm cut in "Forgive me, but… how are you going to fit into the link chamber if, as far as I know, you're frozen in that position?"

"Oh, that won't be a problem, Dr. Spellman. Even though Nagato's muscles became solid as bones, we had his joins replaced by mobile junctions" Itami answered the question, walking to her brother and turning a dial on the side of the chair. It hissed and started retracting the tubes and wires, until none other remained binding him. She then explained what she meant by moving his arms and neck a little "Makes it easier on us"

"I hear that… but what about the wheelchair? Doesn't it carry his LSUs?"

"Not really. Those are actually internal" She touched Nagato's chest "This wheelchair works for his feeding system, along with auxiliary charges for the LSUs, and the neural link to allow him control. He can survive without them for several hours with no discomfort"

"Oh, I see now! Fascinating!" He almost chirped, looking like a child in Christmas Eve.

"Yes, thrilling. Now, be kind enough to get in here. We're on a schedule" Grace reminded them.

Yukito did the lifting job again, carefully placing his friend on the jelly-like surface of the chamber.

"Try to relax, and don't think of any big numbers" She advised, closing the lid "Ok, launch sequence on unit seven, people!"

"Launching" One of the workers of the station confirmed, starting to make the map of Nagato's brain, letting out a whistle after a few seconds "Got the first three congruencies already. Look at this guy's brain!"

Everyone stopped briefly to look at his screen. Indeed: Tensai's brain was abnormally full of activity, even while he kept his mind at ease. It was like the impulses jumped to meet the scanners' signals, making the phase-lock much faster.

"Alright, you two" Grace motioned to Yukito and Itami, then to two vacant units next to Nagato's "In there"

They nodded and got into them, while two technicians closed the lids on them.

"Unit seven, phase-lock 100%, link stable. He's in"

…

Oooo… look at the tunnel of pretty lights…. OW! That one isn't pretty, and why is it moving like that? How annoying… Oh wait, it's a flashlight. One of two technicians in exopacks was moving it in and out of my field of vision, while calling out to me.

"Mr. Yoruno? Can you hear me?" Sound came in a little fuzzy at first, but soon I was hearing perfectly.

"Kindly stop flashing that thing in my eye?" I said, feeling my jaw muscles flex, my lips move.

My voice… I had forgotten how I sounded. It looked like a stranger speaking now. But I knew it was my own voice. I felt it.

I chuckled a little

"You know, I haven't heard my own voice in years" They smiled warmly at me. I smiled back, and it was like I could count each of the 73 muscles that I moved to do it.

And MAN! That was only the beginning! I could feel myself getting the grip of this new body. I can't know if my long absence from movement played its part, but I managed to feel every tiny muscle, stretching over every bone of my ten-foot frame. Powerful muscular tissue, ready for my command.

"Mr. Yoruno, how do you feel?" How do I feel? HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL, DAMN!

I started to laugh, reveling in my lungs contracting, the cool air flowing in my mouth, the flexing of my joints, the pressure in my muscles as I slowly got to a sitting position. My toes… I saw myself wiggling them. I was moving them… I could feel the blood-filled tissues of the avatar's sole when I bended the toes down. Kind of hurt a little, but I could barely process it.

My arms helped sustain my weight, if there was any… Haha, I felt like there wasn't. I was made of air, some sort of air tightly sewn together by something. The panicked warnings of the technicians died out before reaching my brain, though I did notice a rising in frequency as I moved so my legs were hanging from the side of the gurney. My bare feet touched the ground… brrr, cold. My legs managed with ease to lift my body's weight. I felt all that blood being drained with my weight over the soles.

Didn't manage to stay up for long, though. I lost my balance and fell back into the gurney, though I never stopped laughing. Guess all these years sitting in that wheelchair took their toll… Hahaha. I rubbed my head with my hands, feeling the smooth blue skin rubbing against itself. That only made me laugh more. The two managed to get me back into the laying position I woke up in. I stopped laughing for a few moments to look to my right. I saw Itami and Yukito's avatars looking at me with smiles in their faces, obviously getting used to their new selves as well. I laid back and started flaying my arms and legs wildly around, like a little kid being licked in the face by an eager dog, laughing my lungs out in blissful joy.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ow…" A sting? That finally made me stop. A needle-like pain on my side… I looked down, and one of the technicians had stabbed me with a syringe. I looked at her for a couple seconds with a look mixed of confusion and impatience before the darkness came.

They decided to give me a second chance a couple hours later, when I promised I'd behave. Hehe.

"And that settles it" The male technician said with a relieved smile after finishing all my motion control and sensory receiving tests.

I was growing quite impatient by the time. They insisted it was to prevent any difficulties with my control of the avatar, but, to be frank, I didn't feel like I needed it. It all came so naturally, the movement of my body outside my body. Well, guess they call me Tensai for a reason…

"Now, would you mind if I took myself to a drive around the block?" I asked, smirking, and he chuckled.

"Sure thing, Mr. Yoru…"

"Just call me Tensai"

"Yes, Mr…. eh… Tensai"

"Now that's a boy" I smiled again, getting up. Oooo…. I teetered a little, but managed to stay straight "Can I get some clothes or I'm going to get out there in this apron?"

He laughed a little more, then motioned me to follow him. I was soon given some of the standard AVTR-class gear, which suited me nicely, I have to say.

"Could you do me a favor?" I asked him.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Contact someone in the link room, and ask them to bring me a small silver box that's inside a compartment in my wheelchair's arm, please"

"Right now, sir" He walked off the room.

I went through a different door, reaching the outside of the base. A deep breath and I felt how different was the air in Pandora. I could notice it was heavier, though my Na'vi lungs had no problem drawing it in.

"Nagato!" I heard a familiar voice call.

Itami and Yukito were walking towards me, also already dressed in regular clothes. Nee-chan ran to me and I met her in a tight hug, lifting her off the ground for a few seconds, making her oof.

"I missed so much being able to do this" I smirked, letting her go.

"I haven't" She smirked back, rubbing her sides. I used to do this to her all the time, back when my arms could sustain their own weight.

"OOF!" It was my turn when Yukito did the same to me.

"Wow, you're way heavier, Nagato. Been putting on some weight?" He laughed, and I laughed too.

"Yurusai, bakamon (Shut up, you fool)" I said and playfully hit his head.

"Tensai-san?" The technician I had sent to pick my box returned.

"Got it?"

"Yes, sir" He held out the box Itami had taken off my bag on the previous night.

"Arigato Gozaimasu (Thank you very much)" I smiled, getting the box. He made a curt bow and left.

"So, otouto, going to tell us what the big secret is?" Sis asked, looking at the box with curiosity.

"Sure thing" I pressed my thumb against the lock, letting my fingerprint be scanned. It clicked and opened with a soft hiss.

I could easily feel two curious pair of eyes over my shoulder as I opened the lid. Inside, ta-da-da-dah! Inserted in customized black Styrofoam case, were two metallic disks. About the size of a small cookie, one inch thick, made of a mysterious-looking purplish metal shaped almost like a yo-yo.

"Did you really bring those?" I heard her ask.

"Course I did. You may not realize it, nee-chan, but it is right here, on Pandora, that they can be used to their full extent"

"Ok… You're the genius"

"That's what everyone thinks" I chuckled.

"Quit with the false modesty, Nagato" Yukito said with a bored voice, provoking three sets of laughter.

Ok, time for the true experience. I plucked one of the disks out of the case carefully and held It on my blue hand. Using my index finger, I pressed its surface, until both wide ends touched. Here goes nothing. A small circle began glowing, at the very center of the disk, and then the glow spread to several circuitry lines that were invisible a second ago.

What happened next was something I could describe as a Transformer changing shape, ergo, zillions of pieces moving in zillions of different angles simultaneously. Impossible to describe accurately. When it finished, though, my hand was covered, up to the first joint of my fingers, in a smooth layer of the purple metal, perfectly shaped like a glove. I flexed my fingers, feeling the metal move, still as solid as it should be, and yet flexible as if it was made of cloth.

"Perrrrfect" I made my voice sound almost like a feline purr, smirking.

I fitted the other disk into my other hand and repeated the procedure. The results were the same, now I was wearing a pair of purple gloves. Ok, for stage two… I closed my eyes, reaching into my subconscious, and touching a small part of it.

It acted like a trigger: my vision was flooded with computer windows, showing a typical startup sequence. After a few seconds, the windows disappeared, leaving only a thin white contour around the edge of my field of vision. On the top left I could see a small window with a few dots where Itami and Yukito were standing, plus some lines detailing the shape of the base behind me. Ok, radar is working. Two gauges also appeared, one on either side, parallel with my y-axis. One of them was blue and the other purple, though only the blue one was full at the moment. Great. Finally a notice flashed at the very center: HUD OPERATIONAL.

"Perfect once again" I said, mostly to myself. My two companions were confused, I could tell. I smirk.

For step three, I sent a mental command to the neural interface: Activate Reactors Primary Startup. I waited a few seconds, and another window appeared, requesting access code:

SEQUENCE 1 STANDING BY. INPUT CODE

神羅天征 - …..CODE CORRECT, SEQUENCE 1 50% COMPLETE

INPUT CODE

万象天引 - …..CODE CORRECT, SEQUENCE 1 100% COMPLETE

SEQUENCE 1 ACTIVATION COMPLETE.

SEQUENCE 2 STANDING BY. INPUT CODE

ネットワーク遍在 - …..CODE CORRECT, SEQUENCE 2 100% COMPLETE

SEQUENCE 2 ACTIVATION COMPLETE.

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS ONLINE

And once again, only the HUD was left, the purple gauge made a quick ascent until it was also full. The same circuitry lines glowed for a second on the gloves before fading again.

"Alright, I'm ready" I announced to the two behind me "Let's see what those Na'vi can really do!"

Better to take it easy at first. I looked around; we were standing near the basketball court. Nearest to us were horizontal barriers, made for vaulting exercise. Perfect. I walked to them, still reveling in every step. Hehe. I stopped at the first one, with a couple feet as head-start.

Now, legs do your job! I ran to them, placing both hands on the first barrier, while transferring the gravity center to them, letting my legs rise. Woooo! Using both arms was visibly a waste of energy, since I could feel little to no tension on the muscles. My feet made a clean arch over the barrier, and landed firmly on the other side.

Ok, let's do this right this time. I used one step to regain some momentum and vaulted over the second barrier, using just my right arm for support. As I expected, just the right amount of energy applied. I could literally do this all day, he he he. The next barrier was low on the ground. I was supposed to crawl under it instead. No problem. Hundreds of different impulses darted from my brain nanoseconds after I thought about what I should do. Knees, flex, hands, support, joints, move! I felt like I was flying under it. This felt too good.

A couple obstacle courses later, the three of us were sweaty and panting, though pretty content.

"Tensai-san!" I heard a familiar voice calling, and looked over to see the tall, blue form of Norm Spellman's avatar walking to us.

"Hey Norm! Missed you after our little fiasco this morning" I called out, laughing.

"Sorry about that. Grace took me and another of ours to a field base. I left my avatar here so I could do that sample collection this afternoon"

"Naruhodo (I see). Are you going now?" He nodded "Mind if we come too?"

"Absolutely!" It looked like I just made him win the day "That is, if you and Yukito-san don't mind acting as mere securities" He chuckled.

"Course not. We came here as tourists, but we'll earn our keep, just like anyone else" Yukito announced.

"Marvelous! The armory is that way, grab a couple of AVRs and meet us in the Samson" He motioned to the long line of copters on the nearest landing strip "Seventh one down the road"

"Got it, be right there" I said and we parted ways, Itami going with Norm and Yukito and I heading to the armory he pointed, eager to embark on our first field mission.

…

The otherwise calm clearing in the jungle, at a not-too-particular point of Pandora, was broken by a strong gust of wind, which shook all smaller plants and sent some animals running for safety. The whirling canopy above parted to let the towering sight of the SA-2 Samson Tiltrotor pass. It landed quite smoothly, giving the cue for two avatars to hop out and start to scan the area for any threats, M30 AVR machineguns ready.

"Clear" The slimmer one, Tensai, said.

"Clear here too" Yukito added from the other side of the helicopter.

Norm and Itami climbed out next. Their pilot, a friendly woman named Trudy, cut the engines at Norm's request.

"Have fun out there, kiddos" She called them on the radio "Play nice, and be home before dusk"

"Sure thing" Tensai answered, chuckling.

They ventured out carefully, Tensai and Yukito at the ends of the line, Itami and Spellman in the middle. It was hard to keep track of the distance, but they probably walked a couple hundred meters from where Trudy parked the ship.

"Ok, this is a good spot" Norm said when they reached the base of a particularly old-looking tree "Itami-san, please help me with the equipments?"

"Of course, Doctor" She knelt next to him and listened to his explanations about the equipment in his bags.

Meanwhile, the two securities kept at their positions, scanning the area again every once in a while or when something sounded too close. Nagato was frowning.

"Nagato?" Yukito called, walking to him "You ok there?"

"Yeah, sure" He answered unconvincingly "I just got a feeling…"

"Feeling?"

"Yeah, like something's wrong…" He looked around, as if looking for something only he could see.

He stopped, marking his gaze at a point that seemed as empty as any other "Yuki, you think you can watch over these two for a second on your own?"

"Don't offend me, Nagato. Of course I can. Where are you going?"

He pointed to the place he was looking "That way over there, I'll call on the radio if anything goes wrong. I just… have to check…"

"Ok…" He looked at his best friend as if doubting his sanity a little. But then again, he'd done this before, frequently just before Nagato pulled some crazy stunt that would bring him something very good.

Nagato kept his AVR at eye-level, treading every step with caution along the path he seemingly chose at random. He had to walk a good distance before he noticed any change on the infinite jungle.

It was another clearing. The gigantic orb that was the planet Polyphemus was visible above the trees, but Tensai wasn't looking at it. He froze his eyes on the other side of the clearing, feeling his brain rushing to process information and his heart racing, pumping adrenaline-full blood to all his tissues.

Standing on the six legs, though with his back turned to him, was the towering, purple figure of a thanator. But that was not what caused the adrenaline discharge in his body. It was what the armored panther was looking at, visibly with covet. Two Na'vi. By their heights, that of a regular human, they were probably kids. A boy and a girl, hugging each other, in visible fear of the apex land predator that dwelled in their planet.

"Shimata! (Damn!)" He thought "Gotta act fast!"

Looking around, he saw some pebbles lying on the ground. He took two quickly and started taking aim. Good thing his avatar's HUD came with an optics enhancer, so his view zoomed in and locked onto the target. Guiding himself by such, he lashed his arm like a whip, flinging one pebble against the thanator.

The projectile whizzed through the air and hit the beast just where Nagato had intended: the sensory quills sprouting from its neck. It worked to draw his attention.

"HEY, Whiskerface!" He shouted "Come and get someone your own size!"

Worked just like magic. He turned around to roar at him, receiving the other pebble right on the face, missing the eye by inches. If he wasn't angry before, now he definitely was. Forgetting about his two smaller preys, he turned around and got ready to strike at the intruder who interrupted his meal.

Though he knew it probably would do nothing in this situation, he raised his hand and beckoned for the panther, in a clear challenge. And apparently it was accepted. The rear legs gave the first impulse, throwing him halfway over the clearing, and in another jump he was already going in for the strike, claws and teeth bared.

"Osoi! (Too slow!)" Nagato shouted, his abnormally quick brain paired with the adrenaline coursing through his body making it, indeed, look like the thanator was slow. He dove under the attacking beast, switching his strength to one leg so he could jump and place his other foot on the thanator's back. With a hard impulse, he flung himself away from the attacker, disrupting his trajectory and making him crash into a nearby tree, while Tensai himself skidded neatly to a halt on the grass, now on the perfect position to protect the cowering kids.

And yet, his position was also the worst one he could pick in this situation. The thanator was too close for him to be able to kill it with the AVR gun; he couldn't risk doing another move like that because the beast could hit the kids.

"Damn, I really didn't expect to have to use this so soon…" He thought, as his foe got up and got ready to strike again.

He waited. Letting his gun slide to the ground, he parted his legs and raised both hands, palms facing the angry panther.

"Come and get me!" He said out loud, in the most challenging tone he could produce.

As if reading his mind, the thanator flung himself against the older Na'vi, once again, wanting to rip, tear and kill. He was inches from being able to sink his teeth on Tensai's neck when… he stopped.

Not like he reconsidered the attack. If he had, it would have done no good due to the proximity, but it was like his whole body just froze. Tensai smiled. His purple, metallic gloves were glowing again, the center spot and the circuit lines. A keen eye could see a faint distortion in the air between him and the thanator.

Nagato took a step forward, looking into the beast's eyes. A growl escaped his mouth and his body wriggled against the invisible prison, to no avail.

"Go pester someone else" He waved his hand, and the thanator literally flew off the clearing, as if launched by a catapult.

Once safe, Tensai took a deep breath, summoning all his skills in linguistics for the task to come. He turned to the kids, which, he noticed, hugged each other closely, the boy trying to get his twin sister behind him.

"Mawey meveng… Set menga… kxuke lu (Be calm, young ones. I will do you no harm)" He said calmly and slowly, both to show peace and to let the phrases in the alien language form up in his brain "Fpom… menga lu… srak? (Are you injured?)"

The girl seemed to relax a little at his words, which inspired a bit of confidence "Sran oeri lu slä ke oeyä tsmukan… (I am not. But my brother…)"

He looked at the boy, who met his gaze with proud defiance. A quick look revealed that the boy had a hurt ankle. Nagato couldn't tell if it was just sprained or outright broken.

"Tuteol zene… vivewng… tsavenut (That will need to be treated)" He pointed at the swollen ankle "Peolo' menga lu? (From which clan do you come?)"

"Omatikaya" She answered.

"Sìltsan. Pengru… pefya kä mengeyä… olo'ne ulte oeri... mìsyunge mengat… ne tsatseng… nìzawnong (Good. Teach me to reach them, and I will take you there safely)"

"Moe kin ke srung aysawtuteta (We don't need your help, human)" The boy finally said something, doing a brave attempt to stand.

"Mawey, 'ewana tsamsiyu. Nìmun oel ke… 'ìsyeko mengat (Calm down, young warrior. I said I am no threat to you)" He gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Nagato!" Itami's voice called from the trees, as her, Norm and Yukito appeared into the clearing.

The kids startled again, and the boy whispered something to his sister that Nagato couldn't pick up the meaning. But by his tone, he was not talking of Itami's good looks. He waved and walked in their direction.

"What happened?" His sister hugged him "We were worried"

"Nothing too much, nee-chan. I just stumbled across those two. Seem they need a hand"

She looked over at the two, who were now alert, still whispering between themselves "Poor things. What can we do for them?"

"Based on the region we're in, they must be from the Omatikaya" Norm said "They are not too fond of avatars, though Grace is currently there with them"

"Hmmm" Tensai mumbled a bit, thinking fast "I know then. I will escort those two back to their clan, and ask for extraction once I'm done"

"Alone? Are you sure?" Yukito entered the conversation.

"I probably shouldn't need to go far, and one avatar reaching their village should be less suspicious than four"

"He's got a point" Norm said, thoughtful "I guess your plan is viable, Tensai-san"

Itami still looked contradicted, but she yielded "Ok, but keep contact with us, and call for extraction STAT if anything goes wrong"

"Will do" He hugged her again and walked back to the two, taking some time to build the next sentence "Menga alaksi lu srak? (Can we go?)"

The boy looked down, visibly contradicted as well and muttered "Srane… (Yes…)"

"Sìltsan. Hìtxoa. (Good. Now, please excuse me)" He said, before taking the boy in his arms. He grunted in protest, but stood still. Whether it was from resignation or the pain in his ankle, no one could know.

"Pefya'o? (Which way?)" He asked the girl.

"Tsafya'o (That)" She pointed to a barely-visible trail on the jungle.

Just before getting on his way, Nagato looked back to his companions, especially to his sister, and smiled, winking "Don't worry, I'll be in touch"

He tapped his headset for emphasis. Itami let out what could be a resignation sigh, and smiled back, nodding. He nodded back, and walked away into the wild.

…

I take back what I said earlier… The part about "not going far". We were walking for a good two hours; my avatar's virgin feet were aching, and even the air had some difficulty to get in. Ironically, the girl walking beside me was still as willing as if we had just started to walk. Phew, I envy those Na'vi's endurance…

Speaking of which…

"Fyape fko syaw ngar? (How do they call you?)" I asked the girl.

"Oeru syaw fko Ti'a (They call me Ti'a)" She answered.

"Ngaru tut? (And you?)" I asked the boy. He kept silent.

"Oeyä tsmukanru syaw fko Ma'at (My brother is called Ma'at)" He glared at his sister, I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oel mengati kameie, ma Ti'a si ma Ma'at. Oeru syaw fko Tensai (I See you, Ti'a and Ma'at. I am Tensai)"

"Oel ngati kameie, ma Tensai" She answered my greeting cheerfully. Young Ma'at kept quiet.

A couple minutes later, ten or so, I think, Ti'a stopped all of a sudden and started looking around, her ears moving in tandem.

"Pehem ke… lezo lu? (What's wrong?)" I asked.

"Oeru 'efu Omatikaya asim (I sense Omatikaya nearby)" She answered, still looking.

"Oel fìkemit 'efu kop (I sense too)" Ma'at finally manifested himself.

Impressive. I had detected nothing around us, and the jungle itself showed no signs of change. Those Na'vi do know how to be awesome, even as kids.

"Tsengpe? (Where?)"

She looked around a bit more before answering "Tsateng (There)" She pointed to a cluster of trees.

As if in a cue, a hexapede jumped out of the same cluster, but got only a few jumps away from it before, with an audible "whoosh", an arrow hit it on the flank. Unsurprisingly, moments later, two Na'vi followed its trail. A man and a woman, the latter seeming to move with a natural grace; I suppose every Na'vi can do that. Though her companion lacked a bit of it… his movements seemed a bit unnatural, compared to hers.

She knelt beside the agonizing prey, and with quick efficiency, stabbed it with a dagger, rendering it inert. With my enhanced view, I could see her lips moving, reciting what probably was, from what I could read, the Na'vi "mantra" they applied every time they killed an animal. It was quite a touching concept, really. It was a part of what made me respect their kind so much.

Once the woman finished her prayer, I felt Ti'a move forward, happily prancing towards the two. I thought best to go after her, though in a less childish fashion, hehe.

"Neytiri!" She shouted once they were within earshot. The woman looked in our direction, in visible surprise.

"Ti'a? Pelun oel fìtsengit kop? (Ti'a? What are you doing here?)" Neytiri caught her when she jumped into her arms, and they started talking in fast Na'vi, too much for my untrained brain to process.

I took this interval to finish my approach, and also measuring the two Omatikaya before me. The man caught my eye at once. I looked him up and down, and I realized what made him look different from the woman.

Five fingers and toes; he was an avatar as well.

"Now this is surprising" I spoke in clear English "Out here would be the last place I would expect to find one of my own"

The man smiled "Gotta say the same" We shook hands "What brings another dreamwalker to these parts of the forest?"

His use of the Na'vi word to describe the avatars told me a bit about him already.

"Actually, the reason is talking with your friend right now" I motioned to the chatting ladies "I tripped across these two when I was on a field mission. Had I been a couple minutes late, they'd be thanator nourish by now"

His eyes widened for a moment, when he processed what I meant.

"Then we owe you our gratitude, dreamwalker" The woman called Neytiri said, also in English. Her accent wasn't too strong; apparently she had been practicing our language for a while now.

"Your gratitude is most appreciated, Nawmä Taronyu (Noble Hunter)" I said gently, smiling at her, receiving a smile in return.

"How are you called, dreamwalker?" She asked.

"Nagato Yoruno"

At this point, predictably, the man's eyes widened "Nagato Yoruno? Tensai? WOW! It is an honor to meet you sir!" He offered his hand, and I shook it again.

"And you would be?"

"Jake Sully. I can't believe we just tripped across you on a place like this!"

"Jake, do you know him?" Neytiri asked.

"Not personally, but he's almost a legend back on Earth"

"I see…" She turned to me "Nagatoyoruno, if what Jake says is true, it is my honor to meet you as well"

I had to cover my mouth with a hand, pretending to scratch something, to hide a smirk. I heard her tongue curling as she said my name, and it was quite amusing.

"The honor is all mine, Neytiri-san" I bowed courtly to her.

"San?" I looked up and saw the confusion in her eyes, since I was obviously not quoting anything.

"Oh, sorry. In the land I come from, that is a way of showing respect"

"Ah, I see" She smiled again, and waited a few moments to add "I insist you follow us back to Hometree. I am sure my father would like to thank you as well"

"Hmmm. That's an invitation I admit I'm glad to accept" I smiled again.

"Come then" She said, and walked off.

"She's always that… determined?" I whispered to Jake.

"You have no idea. We'd better stay close if we don't want to get lost here" He answered, motioning to take Ma'at from my arms.

"True" I accepted his gesture, letting my arms hang in much-wanted rest, before we followed her.

…

Once again, we walked for a good while, and yet, Neytiri and Ti'a were unhindered. Jake shared a bit of my tiredness, thought I can't know if it was due to his condition as a newbie Na'vi, like me, or the fact that he was the one carrying the boy this time.

I used the walk to recalibrate my HUD's sensors. After the fiasco of not detecting two hunters in a less than 150-meter radius, this thing needed some tuning. I took Jake and Neytiri's signatures as standards for future Na'vis. Hopefully I wouldn't be caught *this* off guard again.

We were now walking over what looked like huge roots. If those Hometrees were as huge as I read, then we probably were getting close. And speaking of being caught off guard…

PROJECTILE INBOUND 10 O' CLOCK!

RECOMMENDATION: JUMP!

The warning flashed before my eyes out of nowhere. Should my mind have a half a second slower reaction time, it would have been too late. I jumped as soon as I had time to process the warning and, precisely at the time, a bolo whooshed past the point where my legs were just before.

At the same time, several signatures popped up all around me just as the recalibration program closed and the changes took effect. Well, at least that proved they were working… In instinct I reached for my AVR, but I soon dropped the idea as at least a dozen Na'vi with bows had arrows pointed at me. I quickly raised my hands to show peace.

Another half a dozen or so appeared from the woods mounted in direhorses. Those animals were quite beautiful, I have to say… even while having six legs. One of the riders, a male with stern appearance dismounted, directing himself to Neytiri.

"Neytiri, pehem lu? (Neytiri, what is this?)" He asked. Uh-oh, native chat ahead. Activate Translator.

I should have used this earlier, but not only do I appreciate a challenge, but I forgot it as well, hehe.

With the command, the warrior's next words, despite as Na'vi as ever, were shortly followed by subtitles in the bottom of the HUD. I chose to focus on them.

"**Has our home become some sort of meeting place for those demons**?" He gestured to me "**First Jakesully, now this one? Has there been another sign?"** He added that last phrase in a jeering tone.

"**Maybe**" Neytiri's tail flicked with annoyance. I smiled to myself, danger in the air… "**A stranger being on the exact right place and time to save our young can only have been sent by the Mother, don't you think?**"

I noticed the warrior's stance changing. That jeering look wilted away, followed by a raised eyebrow, showing a lack of understanding, then changed to disbelief. His eyes then looked from me, to Ti'a and then to Ma'at, stopping briefly on his ankle, then he blinked for a slightly longer time, which, I took, was what he needed to process the information. He sighed and turned his back on us, walking back to his mount.

"**Bring him**" He said, simply.

Everything happened quite fast after that. Everyone started to move, some of the bowmen behind me nudged me to walk, which I thought best to comply, keeping close to Jake, who was nearest to me.

"So… welcoming comitee?" I whispered to him.

"Yeah. Had the same greeting when I arrived, two months ago. Except I didn't dodge that bolo" We chuckled together.

"And who's Prince Charming?" I nodded to the stern warrior, who was now ahead of his fellow riders.

"Tsu'tey. Chief-to-be of the clan"

"Lovely"

Wasn't long before the smaller trees faded out, and before our eyes was the freaking largest tree I had ever freaking seen! Seriously people, you can't know how big this thing is until you've stood on your feet at the base. Those trees, the Na'vi Hometrees, were naturally crafted by nature to be a living spot. Its hollow center housed a big crowd of Omatikaya, around a spiral-like column leading up.

Tsu'tey took us right through the middle of the crowd, and I could observe the most varying reactions. Fear, curiosity, rage, all of the above, some of the above, none of the above… We stopped just before the central pillar. Standing under it was an older-looking Na'vi with noticeably colorful garments. The chief, I'd guess.

"**Father**" Neytiri went ahead and greeted him "**I See you**"

"**Child**" He looked, lacking a better word, annoyed "**Have you brought another of the Sky People into our home?**"

There were isolated focuses of laughter at his tone, which showed an indeed funny mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. Like if Neytiri had just said "It followed me home, can I keep it?"

"**Once** **again, I had a good reason, father**" She shot back, gesturing to the young twins.

The Eyktan's gaze scanned their faces with surprised eyes "**Explain yourself, my daughter**"

"**This dreamwalker, as we are told, saved them from a thanator**"

His eyes also widened, like Jake's had, and he then took a step forward and knelt to direct himself to the girl beside his daughter "**Is this true, Ti'a?**"

Hmmmm… His tone treating the girl showed a level of proximity. Could she be his daughter as well? No… I'm sure I didn't catch any "tsmuke"'s in their chat. Maybe a niece? Yeah, that was likely it.

"**Yes, Eytukan**" She answered readily "**Without him, we would be with Eywa now**"

He closed his eyes for a second, before taking the young girl in a tight hug. He whispered something in her ear that wasn't loud enough for my translator to pick, though I'd take a guess on something around "I'm glad you're safe"

Yep, niece all right. And uncle's favorite if I ever saw one.

Getting up again and retaking his composure, he spoke again "**Neytiri, Jakesully, take them to the Tsahik**"

Both nodded and climbed on the spiral column, disappearing from view. I was next, I suppose.

"Dreamwalker" He called to me, in English. His strong accent told me he had far less practice with English than his daughter.

"Olo'eyktan?" I answered politely.

"How are you called by your people?" He took a few steps in my direction.

I remembered Neytiri's discreet struggle to pronounce my name, so I decided to make things simple "I am called Tensai, sir"

"Tensai" He exclaimed loudly so that everyone heard "You have, in this day, performed a service to the Omatikaya people" He halted his speech for a second as approving sounds came from the crowd before us "We know what your people think of us, what they call us. Sah-vage, uncivilized…"

"Not all think that way, I can assure you…"

"No matter" He cut across me "Despite what your people think, one thing the Na'vi know is gratitude. And today, I show it to you"

He took another step closer and placed both his hands on my shoulders. I noticed a few sounds of surprise from the crowd.

"**Let all know that the dreamwalker Tensai, who saved two of our brothers, is, from today forward, a friend of the People!**" He announced loudly again, this time in Na'vi "**And, as so, he will always be welcome among us, and respected like any of the children of the Omatikaya!**"

The crowd whooped and cheered, and I couldn't help but smile, touched. Hehehe, this felt real nice, to be so readily accepted by a Na'vi tribe. There was no way to contain a sneaky tear that flowed down my cheek.

"I have to say, Olo'eyktan" I wiped that tear away, trying to remain pulled together, smiling "This is a great honor, and happiness to me. I nurture a deep respect by your kind, and be respected back is the greatest gift I could have received"

"And it is a gift you have earned with honor, 'eylan (friend)" He answered, lowering his hands, smiling as well.

After my exchange of friendly words with the chief, I decided to go check on the kids, so I followed the path Jake and Neytiri took, climbing up the inside of the tree. Took a bit, but I managed to find them, though I needed only to look in the right direction in order to spot a group of Na'vi, where I recognized the muscular form of Jake, plus another avatar on non-tribal clothes.

I walked to them, drawing attention to myself. Jake and Neytiri smiled and nodded at me, the elder tribeswoman, the Tsahik I presumed, was enthralled in her work, and the other avatar, whom, at a look on her face I saw that was Grace, looked quite surprised to see me.

"I told you I could keep up, didn't I, Doctor?" I said to her as I walked closer, smiling defiantly.

"You did" She answered "But to find me here… I'd say it's Karma if I believed on it"

I chuckled a little, peeking around her to watch the Tsahik working. She had the looks of a wise woman, though not overly aged. In fact, she was quite good-looking as well, though she had a more exotic and alien look than Neytiri, probably because of the lines marking her experienced face. Her keen eyes moved quickly, as she ministered treatments I could not understand to an unconscious Ma'at. Ti'a was sitting on the other side of her brother, watching intently.

One thing I did notice was that his ankle was a lot less swollen, and was wrapped in a tight ivy bandage. Sedatives, immobilization, anti-inflammatory, heck… you can minister any mystic ritual you want.

After a while, she finished, getting up and turning her attention to me.

"Are you the dreamwalker that saved them?" She asked quite directly.

"Yes, Tsahik" I answered "Oeru syaw fko Tensai"

She touched her forehead with her fingers, in a sign of greeting "Oel ngati kameie, Tensai. Oeru syaw fko Mo'at"

"Oel ngati kameie, Tsahik Mo'at" I repeated the gesture, bowing a little.

"What do you plan on doing next, Tensai-san?" Jake asked me.

"Right about now, I think I'll disconnect and report back to the people at Hell's Gate" I answered, noticing that Mo'at whispered to Neytiri the same question her daughter had made a while ago "Don't want my sister tearing this place apart thinking the Omatikaya kidnapped me"

"If half I heard about her is true, she's well capable of doing that" We laughed.

"Now please excuse me, I shall be back among you as soon as possible" I said, sitting on the ground and leaning my back on the tree's outer wall.

I found it was quite easy to unplug myself. All I had to do was close my eyes and let my conscience fade away. A couple seconds later, ta-dah, I was back at my old immobile self with Itami looming over me.

"He's back" I heard someone saying after my hearing unfuzzled itself.

"Nagato! Yokatta! (Thank God!)" She exclaimed, as her arms went around me.

"God had nothing to do with it, sis" I sneered a little, though probably no one noticed.

"What took you so long?

"A miscalculation of my part" I looked apologetically at her "On that statement of mine about not needing to go far"

"Ah"

"And, of course, etiquette"

"Etiquette? Imi wa nanda? (What do you mean?)"

"We ran into two hunters, and after I delivered the kids to them, I was invited to return to their home so that the chief could say thanks to me"

Yukito, who was at the edge of my field of vision, whistled "Ok, you did them a favor, but… the chief himself?"

"My thoughts exactly, but it was best to comply. My theory is that the two are close relatives to the chief, who, by the way, is father of one of the hunters I ran into"

"What? Grandchildren? Nephews?"

"Nephews, would be my guess"

"So… what happened?"

"Well, I didn't quite catch the full meaning of things yet, but I think I'm an honorary member of the clan now"

"Wow…." Itami said, while my friend just whistled again.

"I would like to go back straightaway, but I have been out of charge for too long"

"Wise move, young man" She smiled and tapped my nose, before stepping aside so that Yuki could have room to pick me up.

He settled me in the chair and turned the same knob, and after a while I felt the now familiar slither of the tubes penetrating my body, then the small shock as the batteries started recharging my LSU's.

Well, I had nothing to do for a while, so I decided to just go back to my room. Later I found that reviving the memories of my first day as a Na'vi was something that kept my mind pleasantly busy.


	3. Interlude One

Tensai's Records – Pandora

Interlude 1: A Smile of Thanks

The day following that of my welcome into the Omatikaya was quite interesting, to say the least. Once I came back, Jake gave me a tribal outfit to wear. It was weird at first, I felt naked… hehe. I spent the morning exploring the Hometree, marveling at its size and complexity.

I particularly liked the crown, where I could gaze down the horizon, seeing many miles above the forest. It turned out to be a very relaxing place, one I could rest my back against the trunk, close my eyes, and meditate, listening to the squawking of the ikrans on the upper branches, and the gentle whisper of the wind.

At some point, I heard two nimble pair of feet climbing up and reaching the crown as well. My radar defined one of the newcomers as Neytiri.

"You know, it's not hard to imagine why you believe in Eywa while in places like this…" I said, once she got close to me "I can almost sense the life that flows on the wind…"

"I agree" She answered, taking a deep breath, probably sharing my sensations "But I am surprised you can feel the Mother so easily, Tensai"

"To be frank, it surprises me too" I smiled, and I heard her chuckle.

"There is someone that wants to talk to you" I opened my eyes to look at her and the other woman behind her.

She was… hard to describe. She was a Na'vi, of course, blue skin, tail, four fingers… so she had that exotic, fluid beauty innate to the kind's females. But my standards, adapted to predominantly humans, found it a bit difficult to find unique traces that would differentiate her from Neytiri. Yeah, that tends to happen when everyone on the planet has the same skin, eye and hair color.

Of course I was not blind enough to think them twins or anything. Her hair, for one, was significantly shorter than the chief's daughter's, stopping around her shoulders. She wore garments slightly different than the others I had seen so far, they were made of more colorful materials. Hmmm… with such clothes, she probably wasn't used to leaving Hometree, at least not as much as the others, so I suspected she was neither hunter nor warrior. Despite everything, on that overall look that defines a person's identity on our minds, I could tell she was beautiful, especially beautiful, in fact.

She gazed fixedly at me, with those golden eyes that expressed a happiness that was quite intriguing. She was beaming, as if looking at me was a priceless gift to her. Wow… I never had that kind of reaction before, not even on Earth.

"This is Ninat" Neytiri introduced her "She is my… umm… what is the human word? The daughter of my father's brother?"

"Cousin" I answered.

"Yes, that. My cousin, and she is the sister of Ti'a and Ma'at"

"Oh, I see" I smiled to them, getting up and making use of the Na'vi greeting "Oel ngati kameie, Ninat-san"

"(I am pleased to See you, Tensai)" She answered in a crystalline voice, still looking happy out of her loincloth "I can never thank you enough for what you did"

Her sudden change of language kind of caught me off guard, but I answered readily nonetheless "No need to thank me, I couldn't let them become food like that"

"Even so, I still must thank you. My tsmuk are everything to me"

"I know how you feel. I would be forever filled with sorrow if I lost my sister"

"I am forever in your debt, Nawmä Tensai" She lowered her head in respect.

"I am honored" I bowed back "And I hope friendship blooms between us"

After this, the ladies waved me goodbye and left, descending the center spiral of the elder tree. Even from where I stood I could hear they chatting and giggling like two teenagers.

And just how interesting is that? Second day as a Na'vi and already someone finds me singular. That broke my last record.


End file.
